In This Together
by thepinkphantom
Summary: They were broken, lost, and alone. They bore the scars of their past...they were in this together. (Inspired by 'Alone Together' by Fall Out Boy)
1. Chapter 1

**Just testing the waters with this (that's why it's so short). If you like it please tell me and I promise to continue it.**

 **Laxus: Listen up weirdo, if they like it they'll tell you.**

 **Lucy: Geez, Laxy no need to be so mean. Do remember who has the power to make a pair of you and Natsu.**

 **Laxus: *visibly pales***

 **Natsu: NOOO!**

 **Me: Can it Pinky.**

 **Natsu: HEY! You're pink, too!**

 **Lucy: Anyway, thepinkphantom does NOT own Fairy Tail.**

She stared out the window of the fast moving train and let out a sigh as she subconsciously stroked the keys attached to her belt. Rain poured down relentlessly and she was starting to doubt that there would be an end. Not that she had a problem with that, no she loved the rain and everything that came with it. Today, though, the rain just served to intensify her internal turmoil.

It had been about a month since she had left her team, her guild, her only family.

 **~Flashback~**

 _The day had been like all others. Lucy Heartfilia, excited as always, entered Fairy Tail hoping to go on another mission with team Natsu, her rent was due in a couple of days._

 _"Hey guys! Wanna go a mission?" She walked up to their usual table where Erza, Gray, and of course Natsu were seated. This time, however, Lisanna was there as well. Ever since her return from 'the dead', Lucy had tried her hardest to become friends with the white haired mage, though it seemed as if Lisanna was doing her best to avoid said blonde. A moment passed and then another. They simply carried on with their conversation as though she had never even spoken. "Umm...guys?"_ _Uncertainty evident in her voice._ _They turned. "Do you want-"_

 _"We heard the first time." Erza deadpanned._ _"No... we do_ _ **not**_ _want to go_ _on a mission with you. How about you do everyone in this guild a favor and get lost."_

 _"W-wha-" She blinked, confused and slightly hurt, at the harsh words thrown at her._

 _"Seriously, Lucy, you've been nothing but a really big burden on us all. This guild is meant for_ _ **strong**_ _mages that can support themselves, not weak 'celestial mages' that need saving every single god damned second!" Natsu hissed while, Gray, who sat beside him, simply nodded his agreement._

 _"B-but, I thought we were friends." Her unmistakable hurt expression did nothing to placate the verbal assaults from her friends... if she could still call them that._

 _"Pfft, as if! Don't get ahead of yourself, if_ _ **anything**_ _you were simply a temporary replacement for me. Entertainment, a distraction, a toy if you will, just until I came back." Sensing the perfect timing, Lisanna delivered the final blow with a smirk so malevolent it sent cold shivers down Lucy's spine and tore what was left of her heart to bits._

 _Seconds later a loud thump resounded through Fairy Tail, Master jumped down from the balcony above them and landed in front of the group. Silence consumed the guild. A small rush of relief surged through Lucy. 'Finally, this nightmare is over.'_

 _It was then that Master turned around and looked straight at Lucy. His emotionless eyes bore into her's and she let out an almost inaudible gasp. He held out his hand and just stood there. "M-master?" He did nothing._

 _"Your hand, Lucy." Slowly she held out her hand already knowing what was happening. The tears brimming her eyes threatened to fall. In one swift move he removed the only connection she had to her new family, her new home, all that she had left. "Leave."_

 _That was all it took, one syllable. The once held back tears freely streamed down her face. As quickly as she had come she turned around and left, never to turn back again._

 **~Present time~**

The last few weeks had been hard on Lucy. She had lost some weight from not eating properly and there were dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She'd been traveling from place to place looking for a somewhere to stay, but going as it has, a permanent home seemed almost fictional at this point.

With a deep sigh, she rested her head on the window seal, closed her eyes, and let sleep take over.

' _You're weak, Lucy, always have been and always will.' A now familiar voice sneered. 'Did you think we actually cared for you? Did you_ _**honestly**_ _think we would accept someone like_ _ **you?**_ _You're nothing but a pathetic little girl.' The vicious voice spat._

Her eyes snapped open. Sweat glistened her forehead. Ever since her departure from the guild, that voice had seemed to have made a permanent home in her dreams. It haunted her mind both night and day.

When the train finally arrived, Lucy stood from her seat, picked up the small bag she had brought along, and made her way off the train. Though it was only about mid day, the sky was a mean color of gray, and the rain poured down with a vengeance. She shivered slightly. She was definitely not dressed for this weather, clad only in short, black, jean shorts; a tight-fitting, dark blue crop top with a slightly oversized zipper hoodie thrown over; and to top it off an old pair of black converse. No, she was definitely **NOT** dressed for this weather.

Ignoring the cold, Lucy stepped out of the train station only to be greeted by tall buildings and busy streets despite the weather.

Oak Town was big and different, nothing she'd ever seen before. With a light sigh, she readjusted up the small backpack she had brought along, and made her way to the shopping districts in town. She hadn't brought a lot and was now in desperate need of some food. Since she was also low on money she decided that camping rather than staying in the local inns would save money. She knew that her spirits would gladly help, but felt it wasn't right asking for their help, they did so much as it is.

She bought two sandwiches, ate one and put the other one in her bag for later, along with a couple apples. She walked along the sidewalks of the busy streets in search of a place to sleep that night. 'Guess I'll just set up camp in the outskirts of town.' That's how it was these days: arrive at a new town, walk until she'd find place to spend the night, then move on after a couple of days. It was lonely, but she had no other choice, her family didn't want her so she was back to square one, alone. She had thought about joining another guild, but in the end would dismiss the idea. It would be pointless, no one wanted her, she was, in fact, weak and useless.

Ever since she had left, she had been vigorously training herself and though it had only been a few weeks she had somehow managed to use the celestial magic that was naturally in her. By calling upon that small tap of power she was able to form minor weapons, kind of like a type of 'celestial make magic'. Even though it may not have been much, that miniscule amount of power brought hope to her once depressing life. Hope that she could one day be a strong mage and protect herself and maybe the people around her, even if there weren't any at the moment.

It was almost sunset and Lucy was yet to find an alternative place to spend the night. Picking up her speed a bit she turned into one of the darker alleyways knowing from earlier wanderings that it lead straight to the forest, her destination...for now.

Halfway down the alley she heard barely audible grunts. 'W-wha was that?' Of course she was scared, she was alone in an alley walking toward a forest... where she planned to sleep on top of that she was quite aware of her pretty much defenseless state. Fatigue was getting to her, so summoning her spirits wouldn't be effective. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash not too far away, startled she hid behind the nearest trash bin. Silence. 'Maybe it was not-'

"So much for 'Great' huh? You, sir put up less of a fight than I thought you would!" A maniacal voice broke the silence and a disgusting cackle followed not long after. Daring a peak, Lucy stood on her toes and peered over the bin. There, not more than thirty feet away, stood a man in a cloak standing over another body, sword pointed toward the other's chest. 'I-I have to do something, b-but what? It's not likely that I can take on the mage myself! But I can't just do nothing!' Determination fueled Lucy as she concentrated all the magic and energy she had left and pictured a blade of her own forming in her hands.

Suddenly a weight a appeared. Looking down, there in her grasp was a sword, it was bright gold and emitting a warm aura. Without much time to admire one of her biggest accomplishments with her newly found magic, she quietly walked out from her hiding spot and ran at the cloaked figure.

Noticing the new presence in the alley, the cloaked figure turned around and looked straight at the blonde girl running at him. In her hands, he noticed, was a peculiar looking sword and even with the distance between them he could feel the untapped, raw power this girl held. 'Interesting'.

She ran as fast as she could, but when the man turned around she hesitated a bit, mustered all the energy she had and pushed harder. As soon as she was within the right distance, she jumped and swung her blade down at the man's chest. He vanished. As though he were never there, he turned into a ghastly figure and then disappeared altogether.

With a final breath of relief, Lucy fell to her knees and promptly blacked out.

The man in the alley, though, just stared at the girl who had just saved his life. She seemed familiar. After several moments of just looking that the blonde, realization dawned on him. Without hesitation he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain that screamed for him to stop and quickly lifted from the ground. "L-Lucy?! What could you possibly be doing so far from home?" Holding the blonde, the same blonde that held his heart ever since Fantasia and even now while excommunicated from Fairy Tail, he walked in the direction of his current residence.

She shifted slightly in his arms.

"Ughh."

"Shh, it's okay Blondie. You're safe now." He bent down slightly and kissed her forehead.

"L-Laxus?"

 **Thanx for reading. Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts, good or bad, I learn from criticism.**

 **Until next time,**

 **your friendly neighborhood writer**


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to apologize to all the people who have been waiting on the next chapter. I've had a few things come up and was not able to write until now. So thank you all who have posted all the lovely comments, this is for you guys! Hopefully all goes as planned and I will have a steady income of chapters until I finish the story. Once again THANK YOU and I hope you enjoy (even though it's kind of a slow chapter... promise more in the next one).**

 **Laxus: Get on with it already.**

 **Lucy: Don't get your panties in a twist it's coming.**

 **Laxus: Sh-shut up, Blondie.**

 **Me: Lucy could you please.**

 **Lucy: thepinkphantom does not own Fairy Tail.**

As dawn broke, the sun's early rays crept through the slightly open curtains. A cool breeze rushed in when the door opened to let a tall figure walk in... well more like limp in. Laxus walked up to the small girl sprawled across his bed, smile eminent on his face, and noticed how she shivered. Gently, he lifted the covers and tucked the blonde in a bit tighter into the blankets. Then turned to leave.

"L-Laxus?", his body visibly tensed, but he didn't make a move to turn around. How was it that the sound of her voice had his heart pounding? Or the mere sound of his name from her lips had his very being frozen in place? "L-Laxus? What happened?"

 _'Come on Laxus, put your big boy pants on and stop being a damn coward!'_ He mentally scolded himself. Putting on the best annoyed, bored face he could muster, he turned to face the girl currently on his bed. "Ya passed out Blondie. Had to carry you all the way here. And let me tell you, you're not as light as you look." He finally responded, smirk plastered on his face.

"I didn't ask you to carry me, 'kay jerk? And you're blonde too!"

"Would you rather I left to spend the night in that alley?" He completely ignored her last statement.

The memories of the previous night came flooding back to her. "N-no, but it was the least you could do after I saved your sorry ass! Plus I'm not _that_ heavy so, don't exaggerate!" She humphed as she turned her head to the side slightly pouting.

A slight blush crawled its way to Laxus' cheeks, but he quickly forced it down. _'Oh dear Mavis, why does she have to be so cute?'_ He cleared his throat and fell back into his usual arrogant facade. "For your information, I had everything under control. So don't go getting a big head now."

"Yeah, I could totally see that." She rolled her eyes. "You lying unconscious on the ground, while some guy has a sword pointed at your chest really does yell 'I've got this'." She laughed sarcastically.

"Don't push your luck, Blondie." He growled.

"Whatever, I'll get going now, wouldn't want to overstay my welcome, now would I?" She swung her legs off the bed and stood up.

"Where are you headed?" He asked, his heart slightly constricting at the thought of never seeing her again.

"Not sure, think I've spent enough time here. So, I might catch the next train out, head to the next closest town." She shrugged, picked up her bag from next to the bed and started for the door.

"What do you mean you don't know. Where's your team? Aren't you on a mission?"

"Look," She started, her eyes filled with pain, anger, and what he could only assume, sadness. "I'm weak and they finally realized. They did what any rational person in their position would have done, so they kicked me out. Can't blame them really. I've been on the road for about a month now."

"W-what?!" His mood suddenly turned sour, anger and rage filled his veins in a way he couldn't quite understand. _I thought they were all about that nakamura shit! I've seen her fight before, she is no where near weak. She beat Bixlow, twice, for crying out loud. "_ Did you tell Gramps about this? Maybe he could have-"

"He's the one who removed the stamp and told me to leave." She cut him off and lifted her hand to show him her now stampless hand.

"L-Lucy, I-I would've never guessed-"

"Hey, hey, hey don't you dare go all soft on me now, Sparky." She crossed her arms under her chest and gave him her best smirk.

"Watch it, Blondie. Don't forget who you're talking to." He chuckled, smirk matching her's. Meanwhile his heart was racing, this is exactly why Laxus had fallen for the blonde. She was the only person who has stared right at him and shown no fear. A feat not even his own team had accomplished. In her eyes, he was just a person not some big scary bad guy.

"You're not so bad, you know that, Sparky." She gave him one of her famous 100 watt smiles and he had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep his blush down. _What am I, a fuckin pansy?! How the fuck is she doing this to me?!_ "Maybe I'll see you around. Later, Sparky." As she walked past him she pat his arm, but before she could even reach the door he grabbed her arm, successfully stopping her from going any further.

"..."

"..."

"Umm, Sparky this is the part where you tell me why you stopped me." She turned around and looked up to face the man that still held her arm.

"Y-Yeah, sorry." When he realized he was still holding her, he quickly let her go. "You know, I've been on my own for a while too..."

Her giggles stopped his train of thought. He turned and shot a sharp glare at the small blonde in front of him him. "Never thought I'd see the big bad Laxus Dreyar asking to join me."

"I'm not. All I was trying to say is that maybe it would be better if we stuck together." He growled.

"Aww, is Lightning Pants lonely?" She said playfully looking up at him while fluttering her eyelashes. _How does he do it? Why am I acting like this now when I can't even remember the last time I had the urge to smile._

"You know what blondie, forget it." He crossed his arms and turned away from her.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry. I was just teasing. I-I actually w-wouldn't mind teaming up with you." She turned her head hiding her blushing cheeks.

That was how the odd team of two started. Two abandoned souls with no where else to turn found each other. "So are you going to tell me why _you're_ here? I mean I did tell you my reasons. Why were you in some ally getting your ass handed to you?" She added the last part with a smirk.

"I was drunk and caught off guard." He growled out in slight irritation. "Same as you, Blondie. I was exiled so I've been travelling." He shrugged at the end of his explanation.

"What?" She gasped in mock surprise. "You mean to tell me that this wonderful place we're in is not your home?" A glint of amusement in her eyes.

"No, this is temporary. I move a lot, though I do have a home in Magnolia."

"Well, that's more than me. When I was forced to leave Fairy Tail, I left my apartment. So even if I do ever go back, which I doubt I will, I won't have a place to stay." She whispered so low that he had to strain in order to hear it. "Anyway, enough with the sob stories. I need to find a place to do some of my regular routines then it's time to hit the road."

"There's a clearing not to far from here. I'm sure that will work. What kind of 'routines' do you do anyway?"

"Just some basic exercises then I practice what I can with my magic."

"Now that you mention it, what kind of magic were you using last night? I thought you used those spirits of yours." He asked.

"I do use celestial spirit magic, I just don't like relying on it so I've been practicing and have figured out how to use some kind of maker type magic. But I'm not too sure what it is exactly or how it works, yet." She answered scratching the back of her head.

"So that sword you used-" He started, but she cut him off before he could continue.

"Yeah. Actually that was the biggest weapon I've made so far, so it took a lot out of me. Normally I can't make anything more than a small dagger." She said as a blush crept its way to her cheeks.

"Heh, that's impressive Blondie. Not many can say they went from holder magic to caster magic. Actually, I'm not sure anyone but you can say that." He smirked while messing up her hair.

"Sh-shut up, Sparky. And stop calling me Blondie 'cuz you're blonde too." She pouted while crossing her arms over her chest. "So where's this great training area you were talking about, anyway?"

Without answering Laxus walked out of the house leaving a very confused if not slightly annoyed blonde in his wake. "W-where do you think you're going?! You can't just leave in the middle of a conversation!" Yelling, Lucy ran to catch up to the irritating, tall man, but stopped short when she finally made it outside. "Wow."

Tall trees, greener than she'd ever seen before filled her vision. The sky a shade of blue that could have only been imagined. She took a few steps forward and breathed in the fresh, crisp morning air. She decided then that it must have been the cleanest air she'd ever breathed. "Come on Blondie, we're not there yet." He chuckled and walked toward a clearing a couple yards from the small cottage. After taking one last look at the scenery, Lucy jogged to catch up to Laxus.

"So this is where you workout?" She asked while doing some quick stretches.

"Yeah, I come out here most mornings."

"Alrighty then, what are you going to teach me first!?" She hopped up and down excitedly while looking up at Laxus with a huge smile on her face.

"What the hell are you talking abou, Blondie?" He quirked an eyebrow down at her.

"Duh, isn't it obvious? You're going to train me." She looked up at him as though it were the most evident thing in the world.

"No." His only response. _Why in the world would she want_ _ **me**_ _to train her? Honestly I would like nothing more than to help her, but what could I, of people, possibly offer her. I mean I didn't actually think she would accept my offer of joining me, but she did._ He looked down at the girl standing right in front of him, she was perfect. The way the sun's light reflected off of her hair. Her large chocolate brown eyes that shone with love. Most of all her forgiving personality that somehow drew in everyone around her. How could someone not like her? Plus with that body of hers, she had every man around her on their knees.

"But Laxuusss," she whined childishly. "You have to help me. How else will I get strong?" She batted her eyelashes up at him. "I mean you are the strongest guy I know."

"Ughh, fine. Just don't complain when I don't go easy on you." _She really does have me wrapped around her little finger._ "Now take a lap and no stopping or walking or I'll electrocute you."

"Geez, no need to be rude." She wiggled her butt at him laughing playfully and took off jogging around the fairly large clearing.

"If only you knew what you're doing to me, Blondie." He groaned.

The next few days consisted of primarily physical training, much to Lucy's displeasure. "When are we going to work on my magic? I think we've done enough working out, if we don't start on my magic soon I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose it." She finally asked one night as they ate dinner. Ever since that night they agreed they would stay in the cottage for a few more days then move on, as they were both accustomed to doing. And ever since Laxus agreed to train Lucy they had been working on nothing but physical training, no magic.

"The stronger you are physically, the stronger your magic will be. It's common sense, Blondie." He stated bluntly and continued to eat his meal. _He eats a lot, but at least he's not a pig like Natsu. No Lucy, stop thinking about them. They don't want you, so why should you spare them any thought._ She mentally scolded herself for her rouge thoughts and quickly caught herself again.

"B-but, I want to work on my magic already." She pouted, picking up her plate and taking it over to the sink to be washed. She had taken up some of the chores since staying. She would wash dishes and cook while Laxus bought the food and helped clean up after themselves. Surprisingly they worked really well together. They never questioned or argued on who would do what, they just did. They were quite the team.

"Tomorrow." He stated also picking up his plate and walking it over to the sink.

"Really?! Thank you!" She jumped up and hugged him in her excitement. He froze at the unexpected contact. When she finally realized what she had done she hastily let go. "Sorry, I-I...I'm sorry." She mumbled blushing redder than a tomato.

Still he didn't say anything, internally he was freaking out. His heart was going a mile a minute and was just about to burst out of his chest. The girl of his fantasies had hugged him. She had felt warm and soft and the subtle scent of vanilla and strawberries overwhelmed his senses. The awkward silence still hung in the air though, so he did what any rational man in his position would have done. "Tch." He might as well have snorted and walked away from her as quickly as he could.

"What was that about? Did the hug upset him?" She solemnly wondered after he left. _Maybe we're not as close as I thought we were. Well it has only been, what three days since that night in the alley._ She waved his reaction as it being too early for them and walked off the room she had been occupying for the last few days. "Tomorrow, tomorrow will be great." She yawned sleepily and crawled into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was out like a light.

 **Special Shoutout to GeorgiaTime. You were the reason for the update today, can't leave my girl hangin' *winky face***

 **Hope you liked it. Like always, please tell me you thoughts, comments, concerns.**

 **Until later gentlepeople,**

 **your friendly neighborhood writer**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay! Another Chapter! Thank you all for reading! I really appreciate it! I also want to thank all of those who took the time to leave comments on the story, thank you all for being so wonderful!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail just the plot.**

The morning birds sang as yet another day begun. A soft breeze carried the relaxing aroma of pine through the air. The early rays of sunlight provided the undeniably perfect combination of cool winds and warm rays. The day was simply perfect.

"LAXUS!" A very annoyed blonde cried out, receiving only an uninterested grunt in response. "I thought you said we would be doing magic today!" Pouting, Lucy looked up at Laxus as she sat cross-legged on the ground.

"We are." The man in question yawned lazily not even bothering a glance in her direction. "And no more talking." He added.

"What does meditating have to do with magic?! Can't we practice conjuring weapons or something?! Heck I'd rather spar!" Chuckling he simply ignored her sudden outburst . The moment dawn broke that morning, Laxus was up and off to waking Lucy.

 _-Flashback-_

 _He stepped into her room and walked up to the sleeping girl. Before he could rudely tear the covers off of her his movements faltered. Even while unconscious the girl before him had some kind of control over him. The way her hair splayed out on the pillow like a golden halo, the way her facial features seemed to have soften- if that was even possible, or even the way her chest rose and fell had his heart doing flips. After leaving the guild he knew he had a snowball's chance in hell with her. Why would a girl as perfect as her possibly want to be with a person as broken as him? Even before then he had accepted the fact that there was no chance, yet here she was: sound asleep in the room across from him. It had not been more than a few days since she had agreed to stay with him and it was still amazed him that she did. It surprised him how well they seemed to work together, it felt as though they had been friends for years. Well, what else was he supposed to expect from the light of Fairy Tail. Then before he could lose himself even more in his thoughts, he reached down and roughly pulled off her covers to start yet another day with the girl he loved with all his heart, but could never have._

 _-End of Flashback-_

"Has everything to do with it." He started. "And please Blondie, I'd crush you with or without magic." He snorted, finally turning to look at her only to chuckle at her annoyed expression.

"Maybe not magic, but I could take you in hand-to-hand, Sparkplug. What do you think I've been doing for that past month?"She said smirking in his direction while standing to her feet. "Unless, that is, you're afraid to lose?" She quipped raising a challenging eyebrow in his direction

"You sure you know what you're getting yourself into, Blondie" He mused shrugging off his infamous jacket as he rose to his feet towering over her by at least a whole head.

"Bring it, Sparky!" She jumped into a boxing stance: her fists came to rest in front of her chest, legs slightly parted, just enough to not be thrown off balance, but be able to move at a moments notice.

"Just don't say I didn't warn ya." He chuckled, but made no move to get into a fighting position.

"Cocky, aren't we?" She ran at the still man jumping a few feet before she actually reached him aiming to hit him with one of her famous Lucy kicks. Before her foot could even come close to making contact with the tall blonde, he side stepped, avoiding her attack completely. _Stupid, stupid. Really, Lucy? Did you really think he would fall for something as expected as that?_

"Is that really _all_ you've got, Blondie? I thought you said you'd been practicing?" His tone leaving no syllable unsarcastic. Quickly recovering from her missed attack, she spun to stare at the smirking man. Faster than he had ever expected, Lucy swiftly closed the gap between them. _Okay, deep breaths. Do it just like you've practiced._ Instead of kicking as Laxus had been anticipating, Lucy dropped and effectively slid underneath him and jumped up once behind him. _Phew, okay nailed it, now where exactly was it that I have to hit? Ah, right… here._ Without giving him a chance to react, she struck a sensitive point in his right shoulder blade then aimed another attack to his neck. He stumbled forward holding his now limp arm and turned to her with lightning speed. "What the hell, Blondie?!" He practically roared after realizing his arm was no longer functioning.

"Oh, just a little trick I picked up. You'd be surprised how much you can actually get from some reading and a bit of practice." She smirked confidently. "Don't worry, Sparky the feeling should come back eventually."

"Cocky are we?" He chuckled. _Shit._ He thought. _What the hell was that? I can't move my arm. Blondie's got more up her sleeve than I thought._ He sprinted toward her almost instantly reaching her, he swept his leg out and knocked her to the ground. He hovered above her, but before he could claim victory, her fist shot up and hit a yet another sensitive area this time, however, on his left shoulder. No longer having his arm to keep him up, he toppled over and subsequently fell on the busty blonde beneath him. _You know what, I don't mind this quite as much I thought I would._ Seeing this as an opening she used her knee to strike his abdomen and push him off of her. She quickly hopped up to her feet and placed her foot on his chest.

"Not cocky, confident. I guess this is my win, huh, Sparkplug?" She smiled down at the other blonde.

 _Now_ _ **this**_ _I can get used to._ He internally groaned. When he felt the weight of her foot on his chest he looked up only to be met with a great view of her creamy legs that seem to go for days. His eyes climbed those delectable thighs to her perfectly rounded ass in those shorts that just barely covered her most private areas. Her shorts hung low enough that he was able to see where her hips flared and continued upward into that tiny waist that was to die for. Today, though, luck was definitely on his side for her shirt was loose enough that he had a clear sight of her flat stomach and the underneath of her bountiful breasts. _Why me? Why am I being tortured like this? God and that smile._ After a good- and long-look at the blonde bombshell above him his eyes eventually reached her face. The smile that shone down left him breathless. _I need to get away before I do something I'll regret._

Using his last functioning extremity, he knocked her down once more. This time he had caught _her_ by surprise and quickly straddled her legs in order to hold her down. "I don't think so, Blondie. If anything, that should be considered cheating."

"You're just upset because you lost." She half pouted, half glared at the smirking man.

"What did you do to me anyway?"

"Just struck some pressure points." She shrugged, completely unaware of how close their faces were getting. "Comes in real handy when fighting opponents twice my size."

"I'm sure it does." He leaned in closer leaving no more than an inch between their lips.

 _Crack. Crunch._

At the sound of a branch breaking somewhere within the forest not to far from them the pair quickly broke apart. Both blushing madly of how close they had truly been. "S-sorry...umm how's your arm?" Lucy finally spoke up while standing up from sitting on the ground. _Wow, what was that? Why am I blushing? It's just Laxus. It's not like I feel anything for him. Calm down, Lucy._ She mentally told herself.

"Fine, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm starting to get feeling back in both as well as my leg." _I. Am. An. Idiot. A mighty big one at that, too. What will she think now? The guy that hated everyone not too long ago, but is now training her straddles her then comes in_ _ **way**_ _to close for comfort. Smooth, Laxus, real smooth. Be a creep in front of the only girl you've ever liked. It's not like it'll ruin your chances with her at all. Well, it's not like I really had a chance before anyway._

"So, when do we start the real training? You know, now that you know what I can really handle." She said confidently.

"Woah, Blondie calm down, all this proved was that you can kinda hold your own in a fight."

"What are you talking about 'kinda'? I totally kicked your butt back there!"

"You showed some real potential… with a teacher as amazing as myself you're sure to become _at least_ decent." He snickered. _Why did I say that? Why do I always have to be a total asshole?_

"Wow." She completely deadpanned. "And here I thought you had finally said something nice, way to ruin the moment."

"Oi, who do you think I am, Blondie? Don't go trashing my reputation with the word nice, someone might actually think that I'm a good person." He smirked. _I have no words._ He internally facepalmed.

"Does that smirk ever leave your face? Cuz' I'm starting to think you were born with it."

A genuine laugh ripped from his throat and bellowed across the field. "As a matter of fact I was." He managed to finally say when the laughing died down. _Oh my Mavis, I don't think I've ever heard Laxus laugh that. I wonder why, though, his laugh is amazing. It makes him look sound so genuinely happy. He should definitely laugh more often. Wait… did I just think about how amazing his laugh is? Why am I even thinking this? Stop it, Lucy, stop!_

"Ughh, whatever, Sparky. Can we get back to training now?" She might as well have whined while putting on her best pouty face.

 _How could I possibly deny her of anything when she looks like that._ "Sure, Blondie. I think that pressure thingy you did finally wore off. Let's see, show me what you can do with that weird golden magic of yours." They stood in the center of the training area with only a few yards separating the two blondes. Laxus, being the man he always has been stood tall and proud, arms crossed over his chest, and arrogant smirk (like always) plastered across his face. He stared at the small woman not to far away and simply waited.

 _Okay, you can do this. You've done this multiple times already, I'm sure you can manage to do it once more._ She held her hands in front of her, palms facing each other and concentrated some of her magical energy into them. She pictured a small knife lying in her hands, and within seconds there in her hands lay the same knife from her mind. It was a golden, almost translucent color yet held all the weight of a real knife. A wave of pure happiness and excitement rushed through her as she held it up for Laxus to see. "See, see I did it! But to be honest I'm not too sure how." She started toward him to hand him the weapon she had just created.

"Not bad, Blondie." _That looks just like Gray's ice-make magic, but without the whole spell part._ He extended his hand to receive the weapon, but the moment she let go, it disappeared. "Where'd it go?" He asked dumbstruck.

"I-I don't know. They usually just disappear after a while, so I always assumed it was because I wasn't strong enough to hold them out here for too long. But I didn't feel any drop in my magic. Hold on let me try again." Once again she concentrated her magic and once again the dagger appeared in her hands. And just as the last time it disappeared right after leaving Lucy's hand. "I-I don't understand."

"Make another, but this time throw it at that tree." He turned to a tree that stood not too far and zapped it with a bolt of lightning to create a singed black circle on it. "Hit that mark."

"What's the point if it'll just disappear as soon as I let go of it."

"Just do it."

"But-"

"Do it." He said sternly daring her to talk back.

Grumbling something incoherent under her breath she did as she was told. With the new knife in her hand she looked at Laxus with uncertainty in her eyes then turned back to look at the tree. She lifted her arm, positioned the knife and let it go. It soared through the air and hit it's designated mark. It stayed for a few more seconds and then disappeared all together.

"Just as I had thought." He said tearing his eyes from the tree to look at the blonde next to him. _Even the way she stares at the tree is cute...What the fuck is happening to me? Did I really just say she was cute? Not that she isn't… but why do I think her staring at a tree is cute?!_

"Huh?! What do you mean?" She shifted her wide eyed stare to Laxus from the tree.

"Well, I can't be sure, but I'm assuming that whatever you create only stays for as long as you need it. The moment you let go of it or no longer has a use, it goes away." He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That makes so much sense. So that's why it always disappears! How have I never thought of that?!" She shouted hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I'm so blonde sometimes."

"Are you done?" He deadpanned. His face the epitome of boredom.

"Yeah, Sparky I'm done. So what are we doin' next?"

"Take a lap."

"W-what?! B-but it's almost dinner and we've been working non-stop since noon!"

"Then take two."

For the next hour and a half they worked on magic: how long she was able to to keep them out, what she could make and how many. In the end Laxus was surprised. The speed of her progress had been close to exponential. She had been able to create almost every weapon he could think up, though when it came to how long she could last, it was only about an hour maybe more but by then her magic began to dissolve and lost some its solidness. When she had finally exhausted her magic they decided to call it a day and head in for dinner.

"Hey, Blondie I've got a question." They were eating the stew Lucy had prepared when Laxus spoke up.

"Okay shoot, and you're blonde too for your information." She grumbled while raising another spoonful of soup to her mouth.

"If you're a celestial mage why don't you use your spirits. I haven't seen you summon even one while training."

"Well," It was true, Lucy hadn't called any of her spirits since a week after she left the guild. She was on her own then: no home, no friends- except her spirits. She had been wandering a random forest when she encountered an insect-like creature. With no other option but to attack, Lucy called out Taurus to help. She had underestimated the creature's strength and was forced to watch her companion get torn to pieces. The pain she felt while watching a friend go through that was too much for her to bare. Ever since then she vowed that she wouldn't open another gate until she was strong enough to protect her spirits. "I-I-" She looked down at her plate and stayed quiet.

"What happened, Blondie?"

"I'm not strong enough to protect them." Her voice was so quiet he wouldn't have heard if it weren't for his heightened senses.

"What are you talking abo-"

"I watched him die and could do nothing to stop it."

"W-what? Do you mean you spirit? Aren't they immortal? So what does it matter?" He questioned, not really understanding what she talking about.

"They are, but they still feel pain. We're friends and friends are supposed to help each other. I failed. I let them get hurt. How can I say I'm a good friend if they're just saving me while they get hurt." Her voice was starting to waver and she could feel tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I'm sure they don't mind. No need to beat yourself up for it." He said plainly.

"That's the worst part, they don't. I hate how they never do mind, it just makes me feel even worse." The tears finally fell leaving streaks down her cheeks. "I should get to bed. It's late and we need to get up early tomorrow." She quickly wiped away any evidence of tears and left to another room.

"Damnit." He cursed and slammed his head down on the table the moment he heard the door slam. "I'm such an idiot." _Good job, Laxus. Way to be an ass. Now how the hell am I supposed to fix this._

 **Crying Lucy and a very confused Laxus what's next? Who knows? First time writing a somewhat fighting scene, so don't hate me too much if it really sucked. Also want to apologize if the pacing is to fast, I'll try my best to slow it down. Like always tell me what you thought, leave a comment, ask me questions, or really anything I don't mind. I'm thinking of either starting another long fic or maybe a one-shot, I'm not too sure yet, but if you have any ideas I would be super grateful.**

 **Until the next update,**

 **your friendly neighborhood writer**


End file.
